I love the sheer power of nature. Even in the most serene of settings, nature never fails to have a profound impact on me. To be honest, several hours before I wrote this post I felt awful. I felt that the only solution would be:

a glass bottle of Merlot

Ferrero Rocher and Lindt chocolate

a blanket fort.

But then I stepped outside and felt the warmth of the sun. A few hours later I realised that I had indeed needed three things to transform my mood. I had just thought of the wrong list. What really worked in the end was:

a cup of green tea

Autumn sunshine

my hammock

This just reinforced my thoughts about nature that I’d had during a road trip… A few months ago whilst travelling through South Africa I had the opportunity to stay in many little towns along the way. There was one area, just outside one of these towns, that I found to be particularly magical. We stayed in a cottage luxurious unit in the middle of an ancient milkwood forest. We were surrounded by unspoilt fynbos as far as the eye could see. And where there wasn’t fynbos there were mesmerizing views of the sea and an incredibly beautiful bay. I felt truly immersed in nature. (No snide comments about the luxury accommodation, please.) In an incredibly short space of time we were able to completely relax and unwind. I really felt as though I was able to re-balance my body, mind and soul. It enabled me to be mindful, with remarkable results. Words simply cannot describe how my sense of wellbeing was completely transformed in this idyllic place. Whenever I enjoy spending time outdoors, I always have the same thought: we should do this more often. There really is a tangible healing power in nature. There’s some irony here too, because we wouldn’t need the curative powers of nature if our modern lifestyles didn’t take us away from nature in the first place. So we need nature to be a healing balm for the modern lifestyle, because this lifestyle prevents us from spending sufficient time in nature in the first place. Time for a change, methinks. What have been your healing and relaxing experiences in nature?

I have to admit that I read a lot of articles of the LifeHacker variety. If you’re like me, you’ll have this this lovely warm Aha! moment. And then dish up another serving of dessert as you watch yet another episode of Bones, and somehow forget the beauty of that insight.

On another note, I’m a self-confessed lemon meringue pie snob. And glutton. And addict. And obsessive. And compulsive.

Over and over again we’re told the same stuff:

eat right

exercise right

sleep right

But we also need to think right.

And I’m not just talking about having the right mindset, or being optimistic. Judging from what people say and write, I think that we’re guilty of a lot more negativity that we realise. I believe that negative thoughts and comments are truly toxic to our wellbeing.

It’s just so easy to fall into the trap. I think we’re all too quick to judge, to criticise, to belittle, to gossip. Oh of course we all agree that these things are awful, but yet these kind of comments seem to creep into conversations all the time. And I’m no exception.

Taking it a step further, I think that even negative things said in jest, in teasing, are just as toxic. If you’re think I’m being oversensitive, then that’s okay. I think you’ll just be proving my point. Because it’s okay to be sensitive. I’d rather have a capacity for empathy and be sensitive than be that woman who sends bitch slap messages.

I think that even when we say negative things in a joking manner, that negativity is still transferred somehow. I’ll use an example that is random but is nonetheless one of my personal favourites…

Whatever you do, do NOT think of a pink elephant.

I’m hazarding a guess that you now have an image of a rosy pachyderm in your mind? It’s kinda cute, hey? Awwww. Okay, back to my point…

Even though the instruction was not to think of something, that idea or image was still presented to your consciousness. I think that negative things said in a joking or teasing fashion are just the same. Long after the humorous tone has faded, the message remains.

So here’s to being mindful of what we are thinking, saying and writing. To eliminating the negative – and being committed to doing so.

You’ll have to read my next post to find out my embarrassing confession when it comes to eliminating the toxicity in my life.

I’d love to hear from you. What are your thoughts on the extent of negativity and trying to eliminate it?

In the words of the rather eccentric modern version of Sherlock Holmes as featured in Elementary, “I abhor the dull routine of existence.” It’s an extreme statement, no doubt. And yes, the character at the time was seeking some form of occupation to distract him from the all-consuming drug habit of his recent past. But that does not negate the valuable meaning behind his words.

Too many of us are guilty of repeating our dull routines without really giving any thought to our true purpose and direction in life. We live in a world where a person is considered lucky if she finds her job to be enjoyable. When you consider just how much time you devote to your career, that’s a pretty dim state of affairs. Life is too short to be spending hours doing something that is not fulfilling.

Whether it’s your career or your personal life, you deserve to live a life that’s enjoyable and enriching. You should be able to relish the feeling of following your true direction in life. You should be able to construct a life for yourself that allows you to grow as a person and develop in the true holistic sense of the word.

Life should not be dull. Mondays should not be awful monsters lurking in the background on Sunday evenings. Talent should not be wasted. Make use of your talent. You know what truly feeds your soul. Focus on that, and you will find your true path in life. If you want to feel empowered and motivated in your life, then you need to start focusing on what truly matters to you.

Getting out of the dull routine of your existence does not mean trying to find the next adrenaline rush. Or anything else that you employ to distract yourself from the truth of your life as it is now. Face the brutal truth of your life, and make the changes that will feed your soul and warm your heart. It is time that we all start leading the lives that we should be living if we are to give our own lives meaning and substance.

Have you ever experienced one of those moments when everything just seems to fall into place? There’s that incredible feeling of balance and harmony, of everything being as it should be. I believe that you can create these moments and these circumstances in your own life.

Building on from my previous post, it’s clear that everything hinges on being true to yourself. You have a path in life that you should be walking – your true path – and this is where everything falls into place and life is as it should be. Although this is the natural direction of your life, there are all too many factors that will lead you in another direction, whether you’re aware of it or not. You need to be genuinely true to yourself in order to follow your true path, and experience a life where everything is as it should be.

That’s not to say that your true path is always the easiest. Or the clearest. But life does require effort, reflection and change in order for you to experience a transformation of your destiny. Some people talk about karma, others about energy, others still about religion. Regardless of your belief system, you should be behaving and making decisions that are true to you. As soon as you do this in a genuine manner, you will see the results. Things will appear in your life that will bring you love, joy, and abundance. It’s a miracle that you can create for yourself in your own life.

A relative recently relayed a quote, which really had an impact on me. He said that life was like playing in an orchestra, and every musician is sight-reading the piece for the first time, but the orchestra has to play in harmony.

I think that this is such a beautiful, humorous, and insightful comparison. This is the way I see it…

We are all musicians, with different instruments, which have different sounds and different roles to play in the orchestra. No matter how dominant or more important some instruments might seem, the reality is that the symphony would be incomplete without the contributions of every musician. It’s not about one individual musician or instrument being heard, but about contributing to the end result. Contributing to harmony.

But that doesn’t happen often. The orchestra will not play in harmony when the musicians are sight-reading the piece for the first time. There will be mistakes. Wrong notes will be played. Some notes will be left out. Some might play at the wrong tempo. And the list goes on. But so do the musicians. You just have to go on, trying your best to perform as well as you can, and in harmony with those around you. In this way you will also be supporting the other musicians in the orchestra.

And that’s what life is about. Persevering, trying your best, supporting others, all the while trying to create harmony and bring beauty into the world.